Technical Specialist - London, United Kingdom - Financial Conduct Authority

Financial Conduct Authority

Verified Company

London, United Kingdom

1 week ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

beBee Recruiter

Description

Technical Specialist - Behavioural Science - Economics Division

FCA - Interim 12 months FTC

We are currently recruiting for a Technical Specialist (equivalent to G6 level), to join our Behavioural Economics and Design Unit (BDU) for 12 months for maternity leave cover.

This role is available as interim promotion, secondment OR fixed term contract (FTC).

This is an exciting opportunity to be the most senior technical staff member in the specialist unit responsible for the FCA's pioneering behavioural science work.

BDU's recent work includes investigating gamification in trading apps

initial results here

),

looking at sustainable finance disclosures

,

going beyond disclosure for high risk investments

(featured in

the FT

) and

getting what's owed to pawnbroking customers

BDU produces behavioural insights and empirical work to support the FCA's policy, competition, supervisory and enforcement functions, looking to understand consumer behaviour using online experiments and field trials.

We achieve impact by developing practical insights for FCA policy and operational use. We draw on the latest ideas and techniques from behavioural science, and work extensively with academic contacts.

Key responsibilities of this role include:

As a Technical Specialist, you will help to lead the delivery of behavioural insights and empirical analysis across the FCA's policy and rulemaking as well as internal operations, working alongside other professionals in a multidisciplinary environment.

You will play an integral role in driving the FCA's decision-making process, directly influencing the FCA's approach to regulation.

In particular, you will:

Be the technical lead on projects using both theory and empirical analysis, supporting the manager to develop and deliver behavioural science research and practical tools that are useful and readily understandable for policy, competition, supervision and enforcement, and where appropriate can also be published in academic journals.
Seek to influence a range of internal and external audiences (including nontechnical senior stakeholders). They will need to understand and be persuaded by the team's approach, and grasp the realworld significance of its insights.
Take responsibility for quality assurance while completing analysis to deadlines and maintaining a high degree of technical proficiency and accuracy. You will demonstrate an ability to manage projects and small teams through a thorough and diligent approach, showing initiative and good judgement
Provide coaching on technical skills to more junior members of the team, and technical advice and knowledge sharing with colleagues more widely.
Line manage more junior behavioural scientists.

You will work in a stimulating environment with a vibrant mix of nationalities, with the opportunity to make a difference to the workings of the financial sector by helping the organisation diagnose issues and design remedies.

You will have the opportunity to influence senior decision makers.

Skills and Experience

Minimum criteria_
Significant applied experience of the main experimental (and ideally quasiexperimental) methods. This includes designing, implementing and analysing findings from randomised controlled trials, including field trials and online experiments, for example in policy and consumer research settings.
Essential_
Experience of producing evidence to support policymaking, for example gained through working in a regulator, government department, or in a consultancy supporting such policymakers.

Plus:

Judgement: Act as the technical lead supporting the manager on behavioural science projects, including an ability to coach and advise others. Be comfortable with ambiguity, identify the most important policy issues or use cases, and scope out the conceptual and/or empirical analyses to tackle these. Prioritise and manage research projects and small teams.
Engagement: Seek to influence and maintain good working relationships with a range of decisionmakers, persuading with wellreasoned arguments. Engage credibly as a peer with, and maintain a network of, leading academics and other external experts in the field.
Delivery: Ability to manage projects and small teams, taking responsibility for quality assurance and delivering at pace. Interpret and distil findings into impactful and policyrelevant insights, bringing these to life for a range of audiences, both in writing or orally. Originate thought leadership and creative ideas for new research that advances the FCA's mission.
Selfmanagement: Role model commitment to selfawareness and learning. Build own supportive network and supports others to identify effective coping techniques and manage impact on others even when stretched.

Desirable_